Overview

Ratings & Reviews

Synopsis

ShadowlandWhen a mysterious woman emerges from the earth during a church renovation, an employ of the church sets out to track her down and reveal her for what she truly is - a bloodthirsty vampire. Under a starlit sky, a woman named Laura crawls up from the mud. She's been badly beaten; her throat has been cut, and she cannot speak. With no memory of the past to guide her, she ventures out into the city in search of food and clothes. Doing her best to blend in along the way, Laura begins to see small things that jog her memory -- a historical marker here, a map there. Has she been reincarnated, or is she something beyond human? Meanwhile, perplexed church officials hire a young man named Julian to find her. Somehow, Julian seems to know more about Laura than even she does, and before long, he has deduced that she is heading to the home she used to occupy over 100 years ago. Julian claims to want to help Laura, though he could be a part of the conspiracy to kill her. As Julian, the police, and the church continue to close in on Laura, she struggles to recall her past and unlock the mystery of her existence. But time is running out fast, and should she not succeed, she may well wind up buried in the ground for another 100 years, or worse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Customer rating

Best reviews

Great indie vampire flick, without the sparkles!

Posted 7 years ago

Cinetrav

This review is from Shadowland [DVD] [2008]

Shadowland is a locally made film by the multi-talented Wyatt Weed, who also act, writes edits produces and does special effects. This is Wyatt’s first time around on a feature film as a director and makes his mark in the horror genre, returning to the roots of the vampire film. Shadowland brings us back to the tone and theme of what made the 1931 Bela Lugosi version a classic. Wyatt chose to focus on the more traditional Gothic telling of the vampire lore with all the fixings.
The story of Shadowland begins in 1897 and is set in San Carlos. A local pasture must bring an end to a dangerously attractive blonde vampiress by means of a stake through her heart. From here, we are thrust into present day as a mysterious man is searching for something and a young woman crawls out of a hole on the grounds of an old cathedral being restored. The woman cannot speak and she is lost and confused as she wanders about the modern city with no recollection of her identity.
The young woman named Laura, played by former Miss Teen USA Pageant contestant Caitlin McIntosh, appears to be a dirty homeless woman as see seeks answers to who she is and slowly pieces together her former life. During her journey of rediscovery, Laura finds herself being tracked by Julian (Jason Contini), whose intentions are not entirely clear to her. We soon discover that Julian’s mission and his destiny don’t exactly align themselves to one another as Laura slowly returns to becoming her true self.
Shadowlands is a story with many layers, transcending time and connecting lives in the past and the present. The story has supernatural elements, romance, horror and some action and special effects that are very well done. The vampiress Laura displays her supernatural speed and strength through the magic of Weed’s special effects. There is one fight scene in particular between Julian and Lazarus (Carlos Leon) in an alley that is extremely well choreographed. The cinematography has a distinctly digital feel to it but the lighting is effective at creating the eeriness required and gives the locations a Gothic feel that wouldn’t exist otherwise. There is depth to the story of Shadowland despite it’s reliance on the tried-and-true themes of older vampire movies, including some enjoyable supporting characters.
I have to spend a little bit of time on the fact that the film was produced in my hometown. I love it when a feature film gets made in Saint Louis and I love to support the films and eagerly anticipate the day when more filmmakers choose to work in Saint Louis. As I watched Shadowland, I found myself familiar with the movie in a way those not from Saint Louis would be able. I probably recognized a good 90% of the locations and it made the experience that much more enjoyable. Granted, some may say this draws attention away from the story, but if that were the case, then there would always be a large group of people from anywhere a movie was shot that are “drawn out of the story”… I don’t buy it! Wyatt Weed does an excellent job of putting the many diverse locations and architecture of Saint Louis to incredibly effective use.

I would recommend this to a friend

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shadowlandadmirer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

I saw this at a film festival in St.L

Posted 7 years ago

shadowlandadmirer

This review is from Shadowland [DVD] [2008]

Shadowland added a unique flair to the ordinary vampire flick. The film was made in St. Louis and highlights some beautiful landscape shots. The period flashback scenes were amazing. The quality of this movie is excellent - storyline, cast, makeup compares to high price hollywood counterparts. The lead actors were incredible, you will definately be seeing them again in the near future.
You will not be disappointed with this movie - you will love it!

I would recommend this to a friend

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masterworks

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Well Done Independent Film

Posted 7 years ago

masterworks

This review is from Shadowland [DVD] [2008]

I saw this movie last year at the Tivoli theatre in St. Louis and thought was very good. A local movie made with a low budget and could look that good? and those special effects, that's an accomplishment. The plot was good, I like the lead actors (not so much the supporting cast, specially some of the cops), and I really liked the old feeling the movie exudes. Kudos to all involved and congrats for getting the distribution.
well done. Go St. louis!

I would recommend this to a friend

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ChanaRo

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5

Great vampire flick!

Posted 7 years ago

ChanaRo

This review is from Shadowland [DVD] [2008]

This was an entertaining movie filmed right here in St. Louis. I saw this in the theatre and it was money well spent!